As 2005 draws to a close, I am pleased to report that the Massachusetts Senate has put forth a host of laws and initiatives that are aimed at making the lives of Massachusetts residents better.

This fiscal year's budget was centered on investments to local aid, education, health care and public safety. These issues continued to be addressed throughout the Legislature's work in 2005.

After the devastation in the Gulf region caused a shortage of fuel throughout the United States, it became clear that the impending New England winter would put an extraordinary burden on all of the people of the Commonwealth, especially the poor and elderly. To help ease that burden, the Legislature passed the HEAT bill.

Through incentives, tax credits that encourage energy efficiency like installing a new boiler or insulation, and a $20 million investment in energy assistance for low-income residents, the people of the Commonwealth will be able to find some relief from skyrocketing natural gas and oil costs.

In addition to the HEAT bill, we also worked to help ease the financial burden some of the Commonwealth's most vulnerable citizens are facing by passing legislation expanding property tax credits for seniors. This law will help seniors, most of who live on fixed incomes, make ends meet.

The Legislature also understood that last winter's devastating storms left our retailers lagging in sales. To boost our businesses, we expanded the tax-free shopping day to a taxfree weekend, which allowed retailers to gain back some of the ground lost last winter. In the forefront of all of our minds are the brave men and women of the Guard and reserve who have answered the nation's call to duty at tremendous emotional and financial price for them and their families. The Welcome Home bill makes Massachusetts a leader in states that provide benefits to veterans, service members and their families. Under the legislation, veterans, service members and their families will enjoy additional benefits and increased pay.

Sometimes unimaginable tragedies give us an opportunity to do something that can help save others . This is the case with two pieces of l e gislatio n fi led b y the Senat e and signed i nto law this yea r, Melanie's La w and Nic ole's Law.

T here is n o qu e stion that we h ave wo r ked to p ass many impo r t ant bill s, but t here are also several issu e s that we are co ntinuin g to work o n t hrough the new yea r, but anticipate actin g on a fter the h olidays.

One of tho se b ills is health care reform . C urrently, neg otiators fo r t he Ho use of R e p - r esentatives and t he Senate are w ork ing on a compromise piece of legis la ti on th at tak e s th e b est of the pro p os als t hat have been in t r oduced. While we w ant to mo ve q uickl y and get h e al th c are refo r m into law, we also are determin e d to move cau tiously s o that we make s ure t hat the bil l we pass is the best possible start to thes e histori c refo r ms. We a r e als o in the pro c e ss o f w ork ing o ut compromises o n an economic stimulus p ackage, a supplemental budget, and reforming our welfare system. I n a d d ition , we a r e lookin g to pass legislation to reform the Chapter 70 school fund ing formula i n the first part of 2006. This has been a busy year for the Leg islature, and 2006 prom ises to b e no less challenging. How e v e r, these are all import an t issues to t he future of the Com mo nw ealth an d to th e health and well bein g of it s r e sidents.